Kanpur: The kidnapping of a 19-year-old girl from Kidwai Nagar in Kanpur for ransom of Rs five lakh turned out to be a staged affair with police on Monday RPT claiming RPT that the duo had hatched the plan to use the money to elope.

The girl was reported missing after her CS coaching class on Sunday evening and her father had claimed he received a call on his cellphone demanding a payment of Rs five lakh for her safereturn, Babupurva Circle Officer Pavitra Mohan Tripathi said.

The girl's father filed an FIR in the matter following which police swung into action and traced the number from which the ransom call had been made, he said.

It was found to belong to one Lokesh who was reportedly in a romantic relationship with the "kidnapped" girl, he said. The duo was found near the boy's house around noon on Monday with police saying that they would take action against the two for staging the kidnapping and harassing government officials.

Police are looking for others who might have been involved in the fake kidnapping.